Astrakhan | Russia | Britannica.com Astrakhan Volgograd Astrakhan, formerly Khadzhi-Tarkhan, city and administrative centre of Astrakhan oblast (province), southwestern Russia . Astrakhan city is situated in the delta of the Volga River , 60 miles (100 km) from the Caspian Sea . It lies on several islands on the left bank of the main, westernmost channel of the Volga. Astrakhan was formerly the capital of a Tatar khanate, a remnant of the Golden Horde , located on the higher right bank of the Volga, 7 miles (11 km) from the present-day city. Situated on caravan and water routes, it developed from a village into a large trading centre. It was conquered by Timur (Tamerlane) in 1395 and captured by Ivan IV the Terrible in 1556. In 1558 it was moved to its present site. A cathedral and castle (kremlin, 1582–89) are still in existence. The great ethnic diversity of its population gives a varied character to Astrakhan.

A city of bridges and water channels, it is an important river port, but because of the shallowness of the northern Caspian, seagoing craft have to transship about 125 miles (200 km) by road from Astrakhan, which is reached by a dredged channel. The city is the base of a large fishing fleet and is important as a fish-canning and caviar-preserving centre. Other industries include clothing and footwear manufacture and ship repair. Astrakhan fur, from the karakul lamb of Central Asia , is so named because it was first brought to Russia by Astrakhan traders. There are medical and teacher-training institutes. Pop. (2006 est.) 498,953. The domes of the Cathedral of the Assumption and the kremlin wall, Astrakhan city, Russia Novosti Press Agency ASTRAKHAN – Encyclopaedia Iranica a town (Russian since 1556) on the river Volga.

ASTRAKHAN (Tatar and Persian Ḥāǰǰī Tarḵān, also Àdarḵān, Haštarḵān, and Aštarakān), a town (Russian since 1556) at 46° 21’ north latitude and 48° 2’ east longitude. It lies on the river Volga, about 100 km from the delta on the Caspian Sea, in the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. Astrakhan is 22 m below sea level and 4-7 m above the level of the Caspian; it shows great temperature fluctuations. The town has a river port 30 km long, as well as a seaport and an airport.

In 1897 the population was 113,000 (among them 12,000 Persians and 6,200 Armenians); in 1939 253,655; in 1965, 332,000; and in 1970, 411,000 (mostly Russians, some Tatars, Bashkirs, and Kalmyks, and a few Armenians). Astrakhan is an important industrial town with an extensive fishing and caviar business and a port—which, however, is subject to silting, as is the Volga canal to the Caspian. The major cargo in Astrakhan is petroleum, mostly from Baku, which is handled at the roadsteads in the Caspian about 200 km south of the town. At the beginning of the twentieth century some 4,215 ships from the Caspian Sea and around, 1,775 from the Volga reached Astrakhan yearly.

Astrakhan has been, next to Baku the leading Russian port for receiving goods (chiefly cotton and fruit) from Iran. Ebn Baṭṭūṭa (Paris, II, pp. 410-12) mentions the town for the first time in 1333. He says it had been founded by a noble who made the pilgrimage to Mecca, hence the name Ḥāǰǰī Tarḵān. It was situated then on a hill some 11 km above the modern center of town. The Genoese merchants in the Crimea called it Citracano. Islamic coins from Astrakhan are attested from 1374-75. Tīmūr destroyed the town in 1395. In 1466, with the decline of the Golden Horde, Astrakhan became the capital of an independent Tatar khanate which fell into Russian hands, first in 1554 and finally in 1556-57. Since then the town has stood on the present site. In 1569 the Ottomans tried to free the town but failed.

After that the Russians built there a fortress (kreml) between 1589 and 1692 and walled the town. Wine-grapes began to be grown around Astrakhan after 1613. During the seventeenth century Astrakhan suffered from earthquakes, as well as from several attacks by neighboring peoples, especially Tatars. In 1667-68 it was in the hands of the rebellious Cossack leader Sten’ka Razin, who staged his raids on Gīlān from there. In 1705 an insurrection of the Russian troop (strel’tsy) was put down. From 1717 to 1785 and again after 1832 Astrakhan was the capital of a Russian governmental district (Gouvernement). In 1772 Peter the Great founded here a military port for his enterprises against Gīlān and Central Asia. Only in 1867 were the military port and the admiralty transferred to Baku.

By the end of the nineteenth century Astrakhan had six mosques for Shiʿites and one for Sunnites, three madrasas and three maktabs (for Tatars). A university has existed in Astrakhan since 1919. Astrakhan, city, Russia Encyclopedia > Places > Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic Nations > CIS and Baltic Political Geography Astrakhan Astrakhan (ăsˈtrəkăn, Rus. äˈstrəkhənyə) [ key ], city (1990 pop. 521,000), capital of Astrakhan region, SE European Russia. A Caspian Sea port on the Volga River's southern delta, it is a center for river transport thanks to a canal built for barge traffic. Astrakhan is also an important rail junction and a major transshipment center for oil, fish, grain, and wood. The capital of the khanate of Astrakhan (see Tatars ) from the 1460s, it was conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1556.

Astrakhan had a flourishing trade with Persia, Khiva, and Bukhara until 1917. It has a kremlin (1587–89) and a cathedral (1700–1710). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. Astrakhan: Cathedral of the Assumption and kremlin wall --�Kids Encyclopedia | Children's Homework Help | Kids Online Dictionary | Britannica Search Tips Astrakhan: Cathedral of the Assumption and kremlin wall The domes of the Cathedral of the Assumption and the kremlin wall are landmarks of Astrakhan city, Russia. Novosti Press Agency Related Articles: Astrakhan (Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)) The city of Astrakhan is the capital of Astrakhan oblast (province), in southwestern Russia. The city lies at the head of the Volga River delta, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the Caspian Sea. Situated on several islands between two branches of the river, the city is a major fishing port.

To cite this page: Astrakhan: Cathedral of the Assumption and kremlin wall. Photograph. Britannica Online for Kids. Web. Earth Snapshot • Astrakhan and Volta Delta on Caspian Sea, Russia March 5th, 2012 Category: Rivers Caspian Sea - January 4th, 2012 This orthorectified wide-swath ASAR image shows the Volga Delta, the largest river delta in Europe. It occurs where Europe’s largest river system, the Volga River, drains into the Caspian Sea in Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast. The delta is located in the Caspian Depression—the far eastern part of the delta lies in Kazakhstan. The delta drains into the Caspian approximately 60 km downstream from the city of Astrakhan. Here, Astrakhan can be observed as a bright white area in the delta. It is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level.

The preliminary results of the 2010 census indicated a population of 520,662. The Volga Delta has grown significantly in the past century because of changes in the level of the Caspian Sea. In 1880, the delta had an area of 3,222 km². Today the Volga Delta covers an area of 27,224 km² and is approximately 160 km across. It has a classical “delta pattern”. The delta lies in the arid climate zone, characterized by very little rainfall. The region receives less than one inch of rainfall in January and in July in normal years. Strong winds often sweep across the delta and form linear dunes. Along the front of the delta, one will find muddy sand shoals, mudflats, and coquina banks. Astrakhan --� Kids Encyclopedia | Children's Homework Help | Kids Online Dictionary | Britannica The domes of the Cathedral of the Assumption and the kremlin wall are landmarks of Astrakhan city, Novosti Press Agency The city of Astrakhan is the capital of Astrakhan oblast (province), in southwestern Russia .

The city lies at the head of the Volga River delta, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the Caspian Sea . Situated on several islands between two branches of the river, the city is a major fishing port. Spires and onion domes etch the skyline of Astrakhan. On the tallest hill stand the city's chief landmarks, a cathedral and castle (kremlin), built in the 1580s. They look out over the fine arts conservatory, technical schools, and public gardens, and beyond to sprawling suburbs. The city also has medical and teacher-training institutes. Home to Russians, Kazakhs, Tatars, and others, Astrakhan is known for the great ethnic diversity of its population. The city is the base of a large fishing fleet. A major industry is the processing and canning of fish products, especially caviar, obtained from sturgeon from the Caspian Sea. Other industries in Astrakhan include ship repair, metalworking, woodworking, and the manufacture of chemicals. Astrakhan was formerly the capital of a Tatar khanate (a type of state), a remnant of the western Mongol empire .

The city owed its rise to its location on the Volga, the area's greatest river, and on the caravan and water routes. It developed into a large trading center. Astrakhan was conquered by Timur (Tamerlane) in 1395. Ivan IV (the Terrible) captured the city in 1556, giving Russia control of the Volga. The Turks burned the city in 1569. Astrakhan served as the base for the campaign of Peter I (the Great) against Persia and later was given special trade privileges. Population (2013 estimate), 527,345. Page 1 of 1 "Astrakhan." Compton's by Britannica. Britannica Online for Kids. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., , from While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Close Enable free complete viewings of premium articles from Britannica Online for Kids when linked from your website or blog-post.

Now readers of your website, blog-post, or any other web content can enjoy full access to this article on Astrakhan , or any other Britannica Online for Kids premium article for free, even if they do not have a membership. Just copy the HTML code fragment provided below to create the link and then paste it within your web content. For more details about this feature, visit our Webmaster and Blogger Tools page. . Copy and paste this code into your page Astrakhansky Zapovednik Facts: Astrakhan Zapovednik Animals With more than 250 avian species recorded in the reserve, Astrakhansky Zapovednik has earned its reputation as a sanctuary for birds. Year-round the skies and shoreline forests are filled with white-tailed sea-?eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), one of 27 endangered species of birds found in the zapovednik. Other endangered birds of prey include osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and Saker falcon (Falco cherrug).

Mute swans (Cygnus olor), once nearly extinct in the region, have made a remarkable comeback in the 20th century, such that now thousands nest in the Volga delta, and hundreds in the zapovednik. Dalmatian pelicans (Pelicanus crispus), recognizable by the curl-like tufts of feathers on their heads, can regularly be seen skimming the surface of the water. The Volga delta offers one of the worlds most important nesting grounds for water birds. Great cormorants (Phalacrocorah carbo) build large, noisy colonies in willow trees along the riverbanks. Colonies of gulls (Chlidonias hybrida, C. niger, C. hirundo) attract carnivorous fish such as Wels catfish (Silurus glanis), which swim to the banks in hopes of making a meal of baby birds that have fallen from their nests. Sharing of nesting sites, an unusual phenomenon in nature, is characteristic in the zapovednik, where great white herons and little egrets (Egretta alba, E.

garzetta), glossy ibises (Plegadis falcinellus), black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), Eurasian spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia), and pond herons (Ardeola ralloides) frequently build nests in the same colonies. Summer is a particularly colorful season in the zapovednik, where more than 25,000 ducks spend their molting period. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are the first to arrive in June, followed by northern pintails (A. acuta), green-winged teals (A. crecca), garganeys (A. querquedula), and gadwalls (A. strepera). Northern shovelers (A. clypeata) and wigeons (A. penelope) complete this annual gathering of ducks, which nest deep in the wildest regions of the reserve before heading to the outer reaches of the delta near the close of August. Away from the water, forest birds are dominant.

Great titmice (Parus parus), wood pigeons (Columba palumbus), golden orioles (Oriolus oriolus), and tree sparrows (Passer montanus) nest in willows. Reed buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus), Savis warbler (Locustella luscinioides), and bearded tits (Panurus biarmicus) prefer to build their nests in the thick reeds. Meanwhile cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) are spread throughout the reserve, laying their eggs in unguarded nests of warblers (Acrocephalus spp.) and then abandoning them. On the islands, mammals range from wild boars (Sus scrofa), the reserves largest wild animal, to the tiny harvest mouse (Micromys minutus), which builds its nest in upon the stems of tall plants. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon dogs (Nycterutes procyonoides), weasels (Mustela nivalis), and mink (M. vison) are the major predators in the reserve.

In the 1940s and 1950s, beavers (Castor fiber) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethica) were released into the zapovednik, and subsequently became constant residents of the reserve. Beginning in April, large groups of frogs (Rana ridibunda) congregate on warm banks in the delta, filling the air with their characteristic croaking. Their song comes to a climax in May, when floodwaters cover these banks and female frogs release their eggs into the water. Green toads (Bufo viridis) and spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus) are rarer in the zapovednik. European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) wake from their winter hibernation at the end of March or beginning of April, going through two cycles of reproduction during the summer. The reserve also offers home to Dione ratsnakes (Elaphe dione), two species of grass snakes (Natrix tessellata, N. natrix), and sand lizards (Lacerta agilis). In total, scientists have found 61 different fish in Astrakhansky Zapovednik, including both typical river and lake species.

Fish in the carp family are the most numerous, filling the waters with European pike-perch (Stizostedion lucioperca), rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), bleak (Alburnus alburnus), and tench (Tinca tinca). In late spring, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) spawn in groups of 10-15 fish, pulling their bodies a third of the way out of the water to release their eggs onto the ground or shallow waters. These eggs hatch in June, and by July the young fish swim into the major canals of the delta, where many become food for larger carnivorous fish, such as the colorful European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and Northern pike (Esox lucius). Toward the beginning of November eastern bream (Abramis brama orientalis), crucian carp (Carassius carassius), and goldfish (C. auratus gibelia) gather in schools of hundreds and even thousands of fish. From there some travel up into the channels of the delta to hibernate, but most spend the winter close to the edge of the sea.

As with migrating birds, the zapovednik plays an important role in the lives of migrating fish. The endangered herring Alosa kessleri volgensis passes through the zapovednik during flood season on the course of its annual migration between the Caspian Sea and its spawning grounds in the upper Volga. The comparatively narrow waters of the zapovednik are too shallow for the Caspians most prized fish, sturgeon, which travel up to spawning grounds along the Volga River through the deltas largest branch. Nonetheless, Russian sturgeon (Acipenser guldenstadti), stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus), and beluga or giant sturgeon (Huso huso) sometimes pass through the zapovednik by chance on their return trip as the rivers current carries them haphazardly to the sea. Vegetation Old willows (Salix alba, S. triandra) dominate the narrow stands of forest that grow along the banks of rivers and streams, which also incorporate European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), European white elm (Ulmus laevis), and false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa).

As these old forests fall into decay, dewberry (Rubus caesius) and lesser pond sedge (Carex acutiformis) spring up in their place. Colonies of reeds (phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia, Phalaris arundinacea) and common club rush (Scirpus lacustris) line the shores. By the 1960s, scientists had identified 44 species of water plants growing in the reserve. Pondweeds (Potamogeton berchtoldii, P. lucens, P. pectinatus, P. crispus, P. perfoliatus, P. nodosus), water milfoils (Myriophyllum spicatum, M. verticallatum), straight vallis (Vallisneria spiralis), and American waterweed (Elodea canadensis) are all common in the zapovednik. Yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata), yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea), and frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus) drifts on the surface of the water.

The rootless coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) is widespread throughout underwater regions of the reserve. Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) grows in many parts of the zapovednik, but raises its delicate pink blossoms on thin stems well above the water only in shallow regions. Branched bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) grows along the shoreline, producing prickly burrs that cling to the fur of passing animals to help scatter its seeds. In August, as temperatures peak and the calm waters of the delta turn translucent, the pink and white flowers of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and white water lily (Nymphaea alba) blossom upon a bed of lily pads. When the zapovednik was founded, a small patch of lotus grew in only the Damchiksky region of the zapovednik. Thanks to active cultivation of this endangered flower, it can now be found in all three regions of the zapovednik and in several other areas throughout the Volga delta. The water chestnut (Trapa natans), endangered in the Russian Federation, has also prospered in the protection the zapovednik offers.

Human influence is obvious in many regions of the zapovednik, where fires, mowing, grazing, and tree cutting have stripped away the natural plant cover. Among the first plants to grow up in these areas are tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima), weeping alkali grass (Puccinella distans), Crypsis aculeata, sea club-rush (Boboschoenus maritimus), Pannonian Tripoli aster (Tripolium pannonicum), knotgrass (Polygonum arenarium), and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Narrow-leaved meadow grass (Poa angustifolia), Clycyrrhiza glabra, and Limonium gmelinii grow on dry, steppe-meadow regions of the reserve that appeared when dams on the Volga River decreased the volume and duration of annual floods. Geographical Features Located at the southern edge of the Volga delta, where the river spills into the Caspian Sea, Astrakhansky Zapovednik lies at the apex of a dynamic water system.

Roughly the size and shape of the state of California, the Caspian Sea is the worlds largest inland sea, and has a significant impact on the development of the delta. Together the sea and the silt-carrying flow of the Volga River have formed this delta and continue to change its relief, continuously creating new islands and canals. As the Volga River carries sediment downstream, it deposits it at the edge of sea, creating islands of alluvial deposits of sand, silt, and clay. Meanwhile, fluctuating water levels in the Caspian Sea have alternatively dried and flooded the southern reaches of the delta over the course of several decades. Despite the proximity of the sea, the Volga delta is located in the midst of a semi-desert region. Warm winds rising from the Central Asian deserts provide for abundant sunshine and a frost-free period that lasts 200 days. Summer temperatures rise to 45 degrees Celsius, while heavy local rainstorms keep the air and soil moist. Even so, winters are cold and continental, stretching from December to March, and freezing even the lower reaches of the delta and the northern part of the Caspian Sea.

In spring, floods rise to cover many of the islands of zapovednik, up to 90 percent of the reserves total area. At its average level, water covers about 70 percent of the reserve. Conservation Status The idea to form a nature reserve in the Volga delta arose at the beginning of the 20th century, when an expedition of scientists from the Zoology Museum of Moscow State University reported that the shortsighted use of natural resources had already caused a sharp decline in the number of birds in the region. Each spring more than half a million eggs were collected, and hunting went unchecked. In 1915, a special commission was formed to organize the formation of a reserve in the delta, but was delayed by the onset of revolution and civil war two years later. Even so, the scientists efforts paid off in 1919 when a local government representative won an audience with Vladimir Lenin and explained the need to protect at least portions of the delta. Lenin approved the plans, and three months later Astrakhansky Zapovednik became the first zapovednik formed under Soviet rule.

At that time the zapovednik was about one-third its present size, but with time, and with increased funding, it grew to the 66,000 hectares it covers today. In time, the reserve  and the delta as a whole  began to attract international attention. In 1976, the delta was named a site of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, encompassing the entire territory of the zapovednik. In 1984, the zapovednik was awarded the status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Two years later, it opened an environmental monitoring station for conducting detailed studies of plant, animals, and climate. Despite these advances, the state of the zapovedniks natural ecosystems has declined significantly since the middle of the 20th century. Increased demands on natural resources throughout the Volga delta have diminished the abundance of birds and fish that once came through the reserve. Hydroelectric power plants built on the Volga River have altered water flow and fish migrations. Oil and gas exploration and increased interest in tourism in the delta have brought with them pollution that stretches into the zapovedniks borders.

Poaching and overfishing in the Caspian Sea have brought several species of sturgeon  valued particularly for their dark and flavorful caviar near the brink of extinction. Even tourism has become an environmental threat, as an abundance of visitors disturb nesting birds and spawning fish. Alone the reserve is simply not large enough to protect all the species that live in the dynamic delta ecosystems. Moreover, problems exist even within the reserve. Poaching and fire-setting are not uncommon due to conflicts between the zapovednik and local villages, which are characterized by high unemployment and poverty. Fires are particularly devastating, destroying nesting sites for numerous birds and old-growth reed colonies that serve as spawning ground for fishes. For this reason, in recent years the zapovednik administration has placed particular emphasis on environmental education in these villages, as well as in the entire Astrakhan Region. Further, in accordance with the current trend in Russian biosphere reserves to expand their activity and influence to regions outside the territory of the zapovednik, Astrakhansky Zapovednik is currently working to found three biosphere polygons in the Caspian Sea to demonstrate models of sustainable development.

By working together with local fisheries and tourist agencies and offering sound data based on years of scientific research, the zapovednik staff hopes to provide a basis for rational use of the deltas natural resources. References Astrakhansky Zapovednik. Rusakov, G. V. and A. G. Kohechny, eds. Moscow: Argopromizdat, 1991. Zapovedniks of the USSR: Zapovedniks of the European Part of Russia II. Sokolova, V. V. and E. E. Syroechkovsky, eds. Moscow: Mysl, 1989. Additional information provided by zapovednik staff. Text by Lisa Woodson. Astrakhan | Article about Astrakhan by The Free Dictionary Astrakhan | Article about Astrakhan by The Free Dictionary Related to Astrakhan: Caspian Sea Astrakhan (ăs`trəkăn, Rus. ä`strəkhənyə), city (1990 pop. 521,000), capital of Astrakhan region, SE European Russia.

A Caspian Sea port on the Volga River's southern delta, it is a center for river transport thanks to a canal built for barge traffic. Astrakhan is also an important rail junction and a major transshipment center for oil, fish, grain, and wood. The capital of the khanate of Astrakhan (see Tatars Tatars or Tartars , Turkic-speaking peoples living primarily in Russia, Crimea, and Uzbekistan. They number about 10 million and are largely Sunni Muslims; there is also a large population of Crimean Tatar descent in Turkey. ..... Click the link for more information. ) from the 1460s, it was conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1556. Astrakhan had a flourishing trade with Persia, Khiva, and Bukhara until 1917. It has a kremlin (1587–89) and a cathedral (1700–1710). astrakhan (ăs`trəkən) [from Astrakhan Astrakhan , city (1990 pop.

521,000), capital of Astrakhan region, SE European Russia. A Caspian Sea port on the Volga River's southern delta, it is a center for river transport thanks to a canal built for barge traffic. ..... Click the link for more information. ], pelt of the newborn Persian lamb, used like fur in garments, and also the woolen fabric woven to resemble real astrakhan. The cloth is woven on a cotton base entirely covered by a pile of closely curled mohair. Before being woven the mohair is wound on spindles and steamed to produce a tight, permanent curl. Astrakhan city, the center of Astrakhan Oblast, RSFSR. Situated on both banks of the Volga on the upper part of its delta. Astrakhan is a major industrial and cultural center and the most important river port and seaport of the Volga-Caspian Basin. It is a railroad junction (lines to Saratov, Kizliar, and Gur’ev).

In 1970 the population was 411,000 (163,000 in 1913; 254,000 in 1939; 305,000 in 1959). Astrakhan is divided into three city raions. The first information about Astrakhan dates from the 13th century, when the village of Ashtarkhan (Adzhitarkhan), located on the right bank of the Volga 12 km from contemporary Astrakhan, was mentioned among Tatar settlements. Located at the crossroads of caravan and water routes, Astrakhan soon became a large trading city. From 1459 to 1556 it was the capital of the Astrakhan Khanate. The founding of modern Astrakhan began in 1558 with the construction of a new fortress on the high Zaiachii or Dolgii, a hill washed by the Volga and its branches. Around the mid-17th century Astrakhan was one of the Russian state’s border fortresses protecting the mouth of the Volga.

Astrakhan was one of the centers of the antifeudal uprising led by S. T. Razin (during 1670–71 the city was ruled for 17 months by the cossack atamans V. Us and F. Sheludiak). There was a major uprising in the city in the early 18th century (the Astrakhan Revolt of 1705–06). A strong military fleet, an admiralty, shipyards, and a port were established in Astrakhan in the first quarter of the 18th century. From 1717 on, Astrakhan was a provincial capital. From the 16th to the 19th centuries Astrakhan was the chief center for trade with the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Middle Asia, Iran, and India. In the 1870’s the port of Astrakhan became one of the largest in the country as a result of the development of the oil fields in Baku. Among those who served their terms of exile in Astrakhan were V. V. Bervi-Flerovskii, N. G.

Chernyshevskii, and the Bolsheviks L. M. Knipovich, I. F. Dubrovinskii, O. A. Var-entsova, S. G. Shaumian, and N. N. Narimanov. In 1903 a committee of the RSDLP was formed in Astrakhan; in 1905 the committee led a general strike in the city. On Jan. 25 (Feb. 7), 1918, an armed uprising in Astrakhan brought about the establishment of Soviet power. During the Civil War intense battles were fought for Astrakhan (the Astrakhan Defense of 1919). The food, metalworking, woodworking, and chemical industries are the most important in Astrakhan. The processing of fish in the fish-canning and refrigeration combine and in fish factories plays a key role in the food industry. The city has a meat-packing plant, a dairy factory, and a confectionery factory. Machine-building serves primarily the fish and transportation industries (shipyards, ship-repairing factories, and a diesel locomotive repair plant).

Woodworking factories produce construction components, packaging, furniture, pulp, cardboard for packaging, and paper. The chemical industry produces fiber glass and industrial rubber goods; light industry produces kapron nets, footwear, furs, and sewn and knitted goods. Wood floated down the Volga and petroleum (in roadsteads) from the Caucasus and Middle Asia are transshipped in Astrakhan. In the center of the city stands a kremlin encircled by stone walls with eight towers (1580–1620, artisans Mikhail Vel’iaminov and Dei Gubastyi) and the Uspenskii (1700–10, Dorofei Miakishev) and Troitskii (c. 1700) cathedrals. Construction is now going on according to a general plan (1957) which provides for the development of the regular layout of the late 18th century. A number of large public buildings and housing developments have been built, and gardens and parks have been laid out. The city has a well-organized square near the kremlin and an embankment. A bridge has been built across the Volga (1952).

There are monuments to S. M. Kirov (1939; sculptor N. V. Tomskii, architect I. A. Rudenko), A. S. Pushkin (1947; sculptor Z. I. Azgur), and V. I. Lenin (1958; Z. I. Azgur). Astrakhan has a technical institute for the fish industry, medical and pedagogical institutes, an evening division of the Rostov Institute for Railway Engineers, an evening and correspondence department of the Gorky Institute for Water Transport Engineers, a conservatory, 20 specialized secondary schools, the Caspian Scientific Research Institute of the Fish Industry and Oceanography, and an institute for scientific research on sturgeon. It has a museum of local lore and its branch, the Museum House of S. M. Kirov, and the B. M. Kustodiev Picture Gallery (founded in 1918). Theaters include the S. M. Kirov Dramatic Theater, a theater for young audiences, and a philharmonic society. The city has a television station.

REFERENCES Astrahan | Article about Astrahan by The Free Dictionary Astrahan | Article about Astrahan by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Medical , Wikipedia . Astrakhan (ăs`trəkăn, Rus. ä`strəkhənyə), city (1990 pop. 521,000), capital of Astrakhan region, SE European Russia. A Caspian Sea port on the Volga River's southern delta, it is a center for river transport thanks to a canal built for barge traffic. Astrakhan is also an important rail junction and a major transshipment center for oil, fish, grain, and wood. The capital of the khanate of Astrakhan (see Tatars Tatars or Tartars , Turkic-speaking peoples living primarily in Russia, Crimea, and Uzbekistan. They number about 10 million and are largely Sunni Muslims; there is also a large population of Crimean Tatar descent in Turkey. ..... Click the link for more information. ) from the 1460s, it was conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1556.

Astrakhan had a flourishing trade with Persia, Khiva, and Bukhara until 1917. It has a kremlin (1587–89) and a cathedral (1700–1710). astrakhan (ăs`trəkən) [from Astrakhan Astrakhan , city (1990 pop. 521,000), capital of Astrakhan region, SE European Russia. A Caspian Sea port on the Volga River's southern delta, it is a center for river transport thanks to a canal built for barge traffic. ..... Click the link for more information. ], pelt of the newborn Persian lamb, used like fur in garments, and also the woolen fabric woven to resemble real astrakhan. The cloth is woven on a cotton base entirely covered by a pile of closely curled mohair. Before being woven the mohair is wound on spindles and steamed to produce a tight, permanent curl. Astrakhan city, the center of Astrakhan Oblast, RSFSR. Situated on both banks of the Volga on the upper part of its delta.

Astrakhan is a major industrial and cultural center and the most important river port and seaport of the Volga-Caspian Basin. It is a railroad junction (lines to Saratov, Kizliar, and Gur’ev). In 1970 the population was 411,000 (163,000 in 1913; 254,000 in 1939; 305,000 in 1959). Astrakhan is divided into three city raions. The first information about Astrakhan dates from the 13th century, when the village of Ashtarkhan (Adzhitarkhan), located on the right bank of the Volga 12 km from contemporary Astrakhan, was mentioned among Tatar settlements. Located at the crossroads of caravan and water routes, Astrakhan soon became a large trading city. From 1459 to 1556 it was the capital of the Astrakhan Khanate.

The founding of modern Astrakhan began in 1558 with the construction of a new fortress on the high Zaiachii or Dolgii, a hill washed by the Volga and its branches. Around the mid-17th century Astrakhan was one of the Russian state’s border fortresses protecting the mouth of the Volga. Astrakhan was one of the centers of the antifeudal uprising led by S. T. Razin (during 1670–71 the city was ruled for 17 months by the cossack atamans V. Us and F. Sheludiak). There was a major uprising in the city in the early 18th century (the Astrakhan Revolt of 1705–06). A strong military fleet, an admiralty, shipyards, and a port were established in Astrakhan in the first quarter of the 18th century. From 1717 on, Astrakhan was a provincial capital.

From the 16th to the 19th centuries Astrakhan was the chief center for trade with the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, Middle Asia, Iran, and India. In the 1870’s the port of Astrakhan became one of the largest in the country as a result of the development of the oil fields in Baku. Among those who served their terms of exile in Astrakhan were V. V. Bervi-Flerovskii, N. G. Chernyshevskii, and the Bolsheviks L. M. Knipovich, I. F. Dubrovinskii, O. A. Var-entsova, S. G. Shaumian, and N. N. Narimanov. In 1903 a committee of the RSDLP was formed in Astrakhan; in 1905 the committee led a general strike in the city. On Jan. 25 (Feb. 7), 1918, an armed uprising in Astrakhan brought about the establishment of Soviet power. During the Civil War intense battles were fought for Astrakhan (the Astrakhan Defense of 1919).

The food, metalworking, woodworking, and chemical industries are the most important in Astrakhan. The processing of fish in the fish-canning and refrigeration combine and in fish factories plays a key role in the food industry. The city has a meat-packing plant, a dairy factory, and a confectionery factory. Machine-building serves primarily the fish and transportation industries (shipyards, ship-repairing factories, and a diesel locomotive repair plant). Woodworking factories produce construction components, packaging, furniture, pulp, cardboard for packaging, and paper. The chemical industry produces fiber glass and industrial rubber goods; light industry produces kapron nets, footwear, furs, and sewn and knitted goods. Wood floated down the Volga and petroleum (in roadsteads) from the Caucasus and Middle Asia are transshipped in Astrakhan. In the center of the city stands a kremlin encircled by stone walls with eight towers (1580–1620, artisans Mikhail Vel’iaminov and Dei Gubastyi) and the Uspenskii (1700–10, Dorofei Miakishev) and Troitskii (c.

1700) cathedrals. Construction is now going on according to a general plan (1957) which provides for the development of the regular layout of the late 18th century. A number of large public buildings and housing developments have been built, and gardens and parks have been laid out. The city has a well-organized square near the kremlin and an embankment. A bridge has been built across the Volga (1952). There are monuments to S. M. Kirov (1939; sculptor N. V. Tomskii, architect I. A. Rudenko), A. S. Pushkin (1947; sculptor Z. I. Azgur), and V. I. Lenin (1958; Z. I. Azgur).

Astrakhan has a technical institute for the fish industry, medical and pedagogical institutes, an evening division of the Rostov Institute for Railway Engineers, an evening and correspondence department of the Gorky Institute for Water Transport Engineers, a conservatory, 20 specialized secondary schools, the Caspian Scientific Research Institute of the Fish Industry and Oceanography, and an institute for scientific research on sturgeon. It has a museum of local lore and its branch, the Museum House of S. M. Kirov, and the B. M. Kustodiev Picture Gallery (founded in 1918). Theaters include the S. M. Kirov Dramatic Theater, a theater for young audiences, and a philharmonic society. The city has a television station. REFERENCES Volga River | river, Russia | Britannica.com Volga River Alternative Titles: Etil, Itil, Ra, Reka Volga Related Topics list of cities in Russia Volga River, Russian Volga, ancient (Greek) Ra or (Tatar) Itil or Etil, river of Europe , the continent’s longest, and the principal waterway of western Russia and the historic cradle of the Russian state.

Its basin, sprawling across about two-fifths of the European part of Russia, contains almost half of the entire population of the Russian Republic. The Volga’s immense economic, cultural, and historic importance—along with the sheer size of the river and its basin—ranks it among the world’s great rivers. The Dnieper, Don, and Volga river basins and their drainage network. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Rising in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow , the Volga discharges into the Caspian Sea, some 2,193 miles (3,530 kilometres) to the south. It drops slowly and majestically from its source 748 feet (228 metres) above sea level to its mouth 92 feet below sea level. In the process the Volga receives the water of some 200 tributaries, the majority of which join the river on its left bank. Its river system, comprising 151,000 rivers and permanent and intermittent streams, has a total length of about 357,000 miles.

Physical features The river basin drains some 533,000 square miles (1,380,000 square kilometres), stretching from the Valdai Hills and Central Russian Upland in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east and narrowing sharply at Saratov in the south. From Kamyshin the river flows to its mouth uninterrupted by tributaries for some 400 miles. Four geographic zones lie within the Volga basin: the dense, marshy forest, which extends from the river’s upper reaches to Nizhny Novgorod (formerly Gorky) and Kazan; the forest steppe extending from there to Samara (formerly Kuybyshev) and Saratov; the steppe from there to Volgograd; and semidesert lowlands southeast to the Caspian Sea . Physiography The course of the Volga is divided into three parts: the upper Volga (from its source to the confluence of the Oka ), the middle Volga (from the confluence of the Oka to that of the Kama ), and the lower Volga (from the confluence of the Kama to the mouth of the Volga itself).

The Volga is a small stream in its upper course through the Valdai Hills, becoming a true river only after the entrance of several of its tributaries. It then passes through a chain of small lakes, receives the waters of the Selizharovka River, and then flows southeast through a terraced trench. Past the town of Rzhev , the Volga turns northeastward, is swelled by the inflow of the Vazuza and Tvertsa rivers at Tver (formerly Kalinin), and then continues to flow northeastward through the Rybinsk Reservoir, into which other rivers, such as the Mologa and the Sheksna, flow. From the reservoir the river proceeds southeastward through a narrow, tree-lined valley between the Uglich Highlands to the south and the Danilov Upland and the Galich-Chukhlom Lowland to the north, continuing its course along the Unzha and the Balakhna lowlands to Nizhny Novgorod.

(Within this stretch the Kostroma , Unzha, and Oka rivers enter the Volga.) On its east-southeastward course from the confluence of the Oka to Kazan , the Volga doubles in size, receiving waters from the Sura and Sviyaga on its right bank and the Kerzhenets and Vetluga on its left. At Kazan the river turns south into the reservoir at Samara, where it is joined from the left by its major tributary, the Kama. From this point the Volga becomes a mighty river, which, save for a sharp loop at the Samara Bend, flows southwestward along the foot of the Volga Hills in the direction of Volgograd . (Between the Samara Bend and Volgograd it receives only the relatively small left-bank tributaries of the Samara, Bolshoy Irgiz, and Yeruslan.) Above Volgograd the Volga’s main distributary, the Akhtuba, branches southeastward to the Caspian Sea, running parallel to the main course of the river, which also turns southeast.

A floodplain, characterized by numerous interconnecting channels and old cutoff courses and loops, lies between the Volga and the Akhtuba. Above Astrakhan a second distributary, the Buzan, marks the beginning of the Volga delta, which, with an area of more than 7,330 square miles, is the largest in Russia. Other main branches of the Volga delta are the Bakhtemir, Kamyzyak, Staraya (Old) Volga, and Bolda. Hydrology Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The climate of the Volga basin changes significantly from north to south. From its source to the Kama confluence, it lies within a temperate climatic zone characterized by a cold, snowy winter and a warm, rather humid summer. From the Kama to below the Volga Hills, hot, dry summers and cold winters with little snow prevail. Toward the south and east, temperatures increase and precipitation decreases.

The average temperatures in the river’s upper reaches range from 19° F (−7° C) to 6° F (-14° C) and those of July from 62° F (17° C) to 68° F (20° C), while on its lower reaches at Astrakhan corresponding temperatures are 19° F (−7° C) and 77° F (25° C). Annual rainfall ranges from 25 inches (635 millimetres) on the northwest to 12 inches on the southeast. Evaporation of precipitation ranges from 20 inches in the northwest to eight inches in the southeast. The upper and middle courses of the Volga begin to freeze at the end of November, the lower reaches in December. The ice breaks up at Astrakhan in mid-March, at Kamyshin at the beginning of April, and everywhere else in mid-April. The Volga is generally free of ice for about 200 days each year and for about 260 days near Astrakhan.

As great masses of water accumulated within the reservoirs constructed during the Soviet period, however, the temperature regime of the Volga was so changed that the duration of ice increased on the headwaters of the reservoirs and decreased on the stretches below the dams. The economy Exploring Russia: Fact or Fiction? The Volga is joined to the Baltic Sea by the Volga–Baltic Waterway , which, in turn, is joined to the White Sea (via Lake Onega) by the White Sea–Baltic Canal; to the Moscow River , and hence to Moscow, by the Moscow Canal; and to the Sea of Azov by the Volga–Don Ship Canal . The river has thus become integrated with virtually the entire waterway system of eastern Europe. Environmental changes Although the extensive development of the Volga has made a major contribution to the Soviet economy, it also has had adverse ecological consequences.

The system of dams and reservoirs has blocked or severely curtailed access for such anadromous species as the beluga sturgeon (famous for the caviar made from its roe) and whitefish (belorybitsa), which live in the Caspian Sea but spawn in the Volga and other inflowing rivers, and it has fundamentally altered the habitat of the nearly 70 species of fish native to the river. These changes—along with pollution by industrial and municipal effluents and by agricultural runoff—have led to deterioration of the major Volga fisheries. Water loss by impoundment and evaporation and by diversion (chiefly for irrigation) have diminished discharge at the mouth of the Volga compared with natural conditions, and this has contributed to an almost steady decline in the level of the Caspian Sea since 1930. Intensive efforts to alleviate these man-made influences, however, have been under way for a number of years. For example, some three-fifths of the Caspian sturgeon are now bred artificially rather than in their natural spawning grounds.

Study and exploration Opium Wars The Volga was known to the Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy (2nd century ad), to the Slavs, and to the Arab geographers of the 10th and 11th centuries. Information on it is contained in the Kniga bolshomu chertyozhu (1627; “Book of the Great Chart”) and in a hydrographic description of 1636. Its flow was first measured below Kamyshin by the Englishman John Perry in 1700. Two pioneer Russian navigators, Makeyev and Gavril Andreyevich Sarychev, surveyed the stretch between Tver and Nizhny Novgorod in 1782–83; in 1809–17 and 1829 the Maritime Bureau surveyed the delta and measured its depth; and from 1875 to 1894 the river was investigated from the Rybinsk to the Volga mouth.

Investigations of the upper Volga were made from 1896 to 1901, and in 1894 the upper reaches of the Volga, Oka, Syzran , and other rivers were also examined. Many institutes carried out hydrographic and hydrometric research during and after the Soviet period; and more than 500 points have been established to monitor the water levels of the Volga.

Question: The Russian port of Astrakhan lies on the delta of which major river?
Answer: VOLGA